This hotel is a newly opened five-star Marriott hotel on the Colombo waterfront.
Across the street is the Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams, a five-star hotel with a striking exterior. After much deliberation, I chose this one on the beachfront.
There's security at the porte-cochère, and a baggage check before entering the hotel.
The ground floor is lined only with sofas, and the front lobby is above.
The lobby lounge was very spacious and had a gorgeous atmosphere – truly impressive.
I arrived early, so the front desk wasn't crowded, and they upgraded my room without any special comment.
It was a room with round walls, which I love, and absolutely beautiful.
The room's interior and furniture had a more classic feel than I expected, with a large column, a spacious bed, and a large television being particularly striking.
The minibar was housed in a heavy, single-door cabinet, giving it a luxurious feel, and there were five bottles of mineral water. However, the minibar refrigerator is usually locked, so it was a shame that I couldn't chill the water.
There was welcome fruit on the table in the foreground.
Next to the entrance was a walk-in closet, and beyond that was a spacious bathroom.
The bathtub was open, but I appreciated that the toilet and shower were properly separated.
The beauty mirror was also unusually large.
Best of all was the round terrace, which offered views overlooking the beach and the city.
The hotel has two pools, both infinity pools overlooking the ocean.
The gym was in a hard-to-find location, behind a spa-like reception area.
The breakfast area was one of the largest I've seen in any hotel so far, with plenty of food, but it was crowded and difficult to find things, which was a bit tiring.
Also, there was a long line at the live kitchen, and many people, including the staff taking orders, were cutting in line, which was disappointing.
If you'd like to see a video introduction to this hotel, try searching for "hakurepo" or the hotel name on YouTube.
